Lasell College | Leaves Spring 2010

Leaves SPRING 2010

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From the President

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Poor Little Rich Girl

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‘Green’ Day Rules

For Children’s Author Barbara Barbieri McGrath ’73

Lasell Lit the Creative Spark

Photo By Emily Merrigan.

Page 10

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Class Notes

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The Village Turns 10

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Laser Lights

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Alumni Weekend

From the President

Dear Lasell Community, You have probably already noticed that this edition of Leaves looks a bit different. Like the College in general, Leaves is evolving. In this and future issues you will see more color, larger photos and an easier-to-handle format. And you will continue to receive the same great content you’ve come to count on us for.

In these pages, you’ll read about some of the remarkable individuals whose passion for learning inspires their philanthropy. These are people like Nancy Lawson Donahue ’49, Chair of the fundraising initiative for our new Center for the Creative and Applied Arts (page 3), whose leadership donation will result in her name being attached to the Center; and Yolanda Cellucci, who made a contribution to the Lasell Fashion Collection and is Honorary Co-Chair of the initiative (page 3).

We have a saying here at Lasell: “Nothing ever stays the same — if you aren’t getting better, you are getting worse.” Just as Leaves grows into what we expect will be a stronger publication, so do we constantly strive for excellence in the education we provide. That is why we have 10 faculty searches in progress for next fall, why next year three-credit First Year Seminar courses will be required for all incoming students and why we now mandate at least one internship and a capstone experience in every academic program. That also is why we are focused on beginning construction of the Donahue Center for the Creative and Applied Arts (see opposite page) as soon as possible — so that the entire Lasell community can experience the benefit of four new studio classrooms, two regular classrooms, housing for new faculty and a big boost to our Fashion and Arts programs.

This progress would not be possible without the continued support from you, our most loyal alumni.

You have been so generous in the past, yet we ask again for your help; a pledge to the fundraising initiative will enable us to break ground on the Donahue Center as early as this spring or summer.

President Alexander with his Portuguese Water Dogs, Rosinha and Periwinkle.

I want to call special attention to the moving events at the College this year in response to the disaster in Haiti (page 12). In classes, in clubs and organizations, in prayer services and all across campus, we continue to see tangible examples of emotional, moral and financial support for the dozens in our community, and the millions in the world, who have been affected by this tragedy. This compassionate outpouring is yet another example of why I am so honored to be a part of the special place that is Lasell. As alumni of this venerable institution, you, too, deserve to share in that pride.

Sincerely,

Michael B. Alexander

Josh Kraft Keynote Speaker at May 16 Commencement Lasell College Green Campus Initiative — Single-stream recycling allows students, faculty and staff to recycle most of their waste, all within one bin!

In the first three months of single-stream recycling on campus, four tons of waste was saved from the landfill. You can help the Lasell College Green Campus Initiative by registering for Reunion Weekend online. Every step matters in reaching our goal, no matter how small!

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Lasell Leaves • Spring 2010

Josh Kraft, the President and CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston, will address students, families, faculty and staff as the keynote speaker and honorary degree recipient at Lasell’s 156th commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 16.

An entrepreneurial leader and experienced manager, Kraft has brought his dedication to youth development work to the Boys & Girls

Clubs, where high-impact programs enable more than 14,000 children and teens from low-income Greater Boston neighborhoods to become responsible citizens and leaders.

He is the founding executive director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston’s Gerald and Darlene Jordan Club in Chelsea. Kraft also manages community relations as director of strategic partnerships for the New England Patriots Foundation.

www.lasell.edu

Bridge to the Future

Donahue: ‘The Arts Do Something for the Soul’

Nancy Donahue.

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It’s a noble idea to give to others what you do not need, but how many people really put that into practice?

Alumna and Trustee Emerita Nancy Lawson Donahue ’49 is one.

Donahue, whose name adorns the Donahue Institute for Values and Public Life and the Donahue Bookstore through her past generosity to the College, recently gave another leadership-level gift to the planned Center for the Creative and Applied Arts (CCAA).

That, too, will bear her name to honor her philanthropy.

“My husband Richard and I feel very fortunate to be able to give not only to Lasell but also to many things in our community, including Boston’s JFK

Library and institutions in our hometown of Lowell. We would frankly rather give it away than spend it on ourselves,” says Donahue, who is Chair of the CCAA fundraising initiative.

The always-modest Donahue is thrilled to be able to offer a major gift toward the new Center, which will provide much-needed storage space for the College’s Fashion Collection, expanded studio space for fashion design classes and additional space for the performing and creative arts at the Yamawaki Art and Cultural Center.

“This adds a whole dimension to the campus,” she says. “Creative arts are terribly important, and fashion is one of Lasell’s premier degrees. Creating — whether it be music, theater or fashion — it’s all tied together [through the Center].”

Donahue, a fashion merchandising major while at Lasell, is a strong supporter of the arts who participated in several arts-related activities while on campus including singing in the Orphean Club. She is pleased to see

On the Quad: The north side of the Center will complete the Bragdon Quadrangle.

the College’s renewed emphasis on drama, singing and music over the past year with the revival of both the Drama Club and College Chorus.

“I really do think it is a whole experience that young people must have — to be involved in the arts,” she adds. “The arts do something for the soul.”

But Donahue’s generosity also stems from the warmth and collegial atmosphere she experienced at Lasell and the strong friendships she built that are still vibrant today.

“It was a nurturing environment,” she says, adding that a tight connection to the College can translate into future giving as it has for many of her Lasell ’49 classmates.

While Lasell President Michael B. Alexander and others at the College are working hard to build affinity among

today’s students, they recognize that Donahue holds a unique place in Lasell’s philanthropic history. “Nancy was a leader and loyal alumna when we were a struggling school with 394 students, and she continues in that leadership role now that we are a robust college of over 1,600 students, including graduate students,” President Alexander says.

As the College expands, he adds, its core values — those that help keep the ties to Lasell strong long after graduation — will continue.

“The tenets of Lasell’s student focus — on social responsibility, integrity and ethical decision-making — will always remain,” he says. “Our alums will always see that.”

Which is why Donahue, whose Lasell memories resonate with a college that nurtures ethics, morals and good common sense, continues to give back.

The Yolanda Touch

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For Boston fashion icon Yolanda, it’s all about glamour.

Yolanda Cellucci, who for decades dressed the super stylish from her Waltham salon, lives and breathes her mission to keep elegance and glamour alive.

Now she has brought her special touch to Lasell — where she has formed a strong bond over the years. Yolanda recently signed on as Honorary Co-Chair of the fundraising initiative to build a new Center for the Creative and Applied Arts (CCAA).

The partnership is a perfect fit, as the new Center will give Lasell’s Fashion Collection more room for storage and will create studio and classroom space for Lasell’s fashion design students.

“The Center will help bring back the elegance of fashion and style for young people who are now creating their future in fashion,” Yolanda says.

Where The Classroom Is The Real World

Yolanda’s connection with the College began many years ago after she met several Lasell fashion professors through a professional organization, Fashion Group of Boston. Since then, Lasell students have visited her celebrated salon to view the high-end designs — from Bill Blass to Oscar de la Renta — some of them even hired as interns and employees.

“What I have seen come from Lasell is a fine, quality student who gives attention to detail and attitude, thanks to the teaching skills of the faculty,” Yolanda says.

The Yolanda-Lasell connection recently became more high-profile through her generosity to the College’s Fashion Collection. Last year, she gave the College more than 30 gowns, including Bob Mackie and Mary McFadden designs, after closing her famed salon.

“Yolanda has always been recognized for her incredible generosity,” says

Signature Showcase: Yolanda, far right, flanked by the donated gowns and Anne Vallely, far left.

Lasell Fashion Professor Anne Vallely, a longtime friend of Yolanda’s. “She is a remarkable businesswoman, passionate about the fashion industry supporting students of fashion.” The College showcased those gowns at the annual Leadership Recognition Dinner last fall at the Larz Anderson Auto Museum in Brookline, where Yolanda was also honored (see page 20). Earlier this

month she was the subject of a retrospective on her life and career, including an exhibit of her gowns, at the Wedeman Gallery at the Yamawaki Art and Cultural Center.

Yolanda’s position as a spokesperson and honorary co-chair for the fundraising effort to build the CCAA? The icing on a very fashionable cake.

Lasell Leaves • Spring 2010

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Cutting Edge

Fashion Communication Major Sets Lasell Apart

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Lasell’s fashion students frequently stand out on the runway as skilled designers and merchandisers, but now they have a chance to try a new major on for size — Fashion Communication.

The brainchild of the Fashion and Communication Department Chairs, Mary Ruppert-Stroescu and Janice Barrett, the new Fashion Communication major has concentrations in public relations, journalism and event management.

Other fashion schools in England, Canada and Europe offer this course of study, but only one other US school — Stephens College in Missouri — provides this major.

Now seemed like the right moment for Lasell to join them. And the Board of Trustees agreed.

“I’ve has this on my radar for a long time,” says Ruppert-Stroescu, who taught at Stephens before arriving at Lasell in 2008.

Both Barrett and Ruppert-Stroescu are enthused that the new major gives the Fashion and Communication Departments new depth with a contemporary twist.

“This is fairly unique in the United States. We are ahead of the curve,” says Barrett. “[Fashion] is a cultural phenomenon with magazines devoted to it, movies like The September Issue and regular segments on Today and Good Morning America.”

And, with Lasell fashion students already producing the high quality, glossy, student-written magazine, Polished (see page 5), there is ample opportunity for Fashion Communication students to practice their craft.

“We have a competitive advantage with Polished and the Polished tradition,” says Ruppert-Stroescu.

Just ask current co-editor of Polished, Elisa Bronstein ’11.

“Once I started college, I found myself yearning to follow a career path in the magazine world. I hope to write freelance fashion articles or arts/living

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Lasell Leaves • Spring 2010

pieces until I can build a strong portfolio to land my dream job as an editor, ultimately a fashion editor,” says Bronstein.

Bronstein, who conducted research on the new major through independent study, is one of two students to recently change majors to Fashion Communication.

But there are others excited about the new option, too.

“Students were elated, since many are currently majoring in Fashion and Retail Merchandising with a minor in Communication,” Bronstein adds. “It only makes sense to offer a merged major with a better focus, rather than completing minor requirements that are not tailor-made for fashion.”

According to Ruppert-Stroescu, many current and former Lasell fashion students have taken internships at such fashion magazines as Marie Claire and Brides, so she suspected there was a healthy appetite for this type of coursework.

“There’s the marketing and merchandising side, the design part and now the communications piece, which bridges both of those,” says Ruppert-Stroescu. “Where we see the strength [of this major] is in the product knowledge and the system knowledge, because it is so distinctive.”

While students in the new major will take core courses from existing Fashion and Communications concentrations, there are also several new classes on the roster, including: Social Media, Publication Editing, Fashion Photo Styling and Entertainment Media (with a segment on fashion).

“Every one of our concentrations is relevant to the fashion industry,” says Barrett.

Form to Fashion

Making a Connection with Natick Collection For the second year in a row, Lasell College will participate with other area schools in the Form to Fashion design contest at the Natick Collection.

The competition, held consecutive weeks from February through May, involves students and alumni from Lasell College, Mount Ida College, School of Fashion Design and Framingham State College. The designs will be displayed in the Neiman Marcus Court at the Natick Collection.

Each school will display its entries during a three-week period, and shoppers are invited to vote on their favorite designs. Lasell’s designs will be on display from Thursday, April 1 to Wednesday, April 21.

This year’s contest is co-sponsored by the Natick Collection, Neiman Marcus and Boston Magazine.

Current seniors showing their designs: Nga Tran Christina Izzo Aurisha Albright Natalie Thomas Renee Clark Brittney Savoie Angelette Lopes

Alums showing their designs: Crystal Noe ’09 Lynn Morin ’09 Erica Desautels ’09 Vivienne Lowe ’09

The new major will also pull in experts from the larger fashion communication industry, including Boston Globe reporter Chris Muther and others.

The Fashion Communication major will be an official choice for incoming first-year students in the fall.

www.lasell.edu

Lasell Meets the BSO What inspires the designs that end up on the elite runways of fashion? The arts, the environment, the street?

In the case of the Boston Symphony Orchestra on April 15, it was none other than Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

The Boston Symphony Orchestra held its second Annual Fashion Contest and Event at Symphony Hall, presented in conjunction with the BSO’s April Tchaikovsky concert series. This year marks the second time Lasell students have participated in the contest, called Project Mozart in its first year.

Project Tchaikovsky showcased evening-wear designs inspired by the musical compositions of Tchaikovsky, and two Lasell fashion students were chosen to participate: Fallon Coster and Melissa Higgins. Other Lasell entrants included Amanda Erickson, Brenna Fligg and Morgan Lagerberg.

In Competition: Fashion Design junior Amanda Saladino works on her entry.

According to Fashion Department Chair Mary Ruppert-Stroescu, the students were encouraged to draw and design in response to Tchaikovsky’s music.

Inspired Design: Hats Off

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Since last summer, Lasell Fashion Department Chair Mary Ruppert-Stroescu and Professors Lynn Blake and Jill Carey have been collaborating with staff at the American Textile History Museum (ATHM) in Lowell, MA on an exhibition called Inspired Design: Lasell College at ATHM. Inspired Design, which opens Saturday, May 15 and runs through Sunday, August 1 at the museum, will showcase hats designed by undergraduate designers in Professor Blake’s Accessories Design class. Each contemporary creation will be juxtaposed with an historic piece of the student’s choosing.

“I had the class listen to the music and draw what the music inspired them to feel. Then we stopped and added colors,” Ruppert-Stroescu says.

Boston Symphony Orchestra patrons and local fashion experts voted for their favorite designs over the course of the two dates, and a winner was announced on Thursday, April 15 at a post-concert reception and fashion show. The award results were not available at press time.

After initial research using the museum’s database, the Lasell students were invited to the museum for a rare opportunity to examine the museum’s “inspiration” collection.

“Listening to the ‘ooohs’ and ‘aaahs’ from the students as many of them saw their first vintage piece was very exciting,” says Curator Karen Herbaugh. “It reminded me of my first experience at a museum. I hope this opportunity inspires them to look at history in a new way.”

web extra

For more, go to www.lasell.edu/about/ProjectTchiakovsky2010.asp

To make the museum relationship even richer for the students, they will be vying for a coveted spot in the exhibition. The Lasell-designed hats will be judged by South Boston hat designer Marie Galvin, Lasell Professors Ruppert-Stroescu and Jeanne McDavitt, and ATHM staff members Karen Herbaugh and Diane Fagan Affleck.

Hats off to all!

Happy 10th Anniversary, Polished Magazine Founded in 1999 by Lasell Fashion Department Professor Richard Bath and fashion photographer Ellie Honein, Polished is the only student-run fashion and culture magazine in the Boston area.

Congratulations to everyone who has contributed to making Polished the success it is today.

Where The Classroom Is The Real World

Lasell Leaves • Spring 2010

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Up Close

Vintage Superstar Meredith Byam ’00

‘I Opened a Store I Wanted to Shop At!’

R Ridiculously fair.

During her last three semesters at Lasell, Byam worked part-time at a consignment shop and interned with then-professor Jay Calderin (founder of Boston’s annual Fashion Week) “designing a collection, just the two of us.” She also gives a special shout-out to then-Fashion Department Chair Richard Bath for “taking me under his wing” during her days on Woodland Road.

That’s the buzz on prices at Poor Little Rich Girl, the eclectic consignment clothing business owned by Lasell alum Meredith Byam ‘00. A rare success story in a tough economy, Byam traces some of her sartorial savvy back to her days as a design major at Lasell.

“I was fortunate to have a very personalized experience in college,” Byam says. “In particular, Associate Professor of Fashion Jill Carey’s Fashion History class had enormous influence in helping me connect my interest in fashion with my need to make a living.”

“I needed the extra attention and generous encouragement I got in small classes,” Byam says.

“Jill, Jay and Richard all were a part of that.”

The Lakeville, MA native was intrigued by the thrift store subculture early on in Middleboro, where her parents then owned an antique store.

A consistent winner in Boston Magazine’s influential “Best of Boston” competition in 2007 and 2009, and 2009 Boston Phoenix honoree for “Best Vintage,” Byam considers her entrepreneurial strong suit — “if I have one” — to be forecasting trends.

Such as? “The mis-matched Sex and the City look that was hot in 2002 and the jersey draping and more asymmetrical, criss-cross back look that’s hip today.”

“You need an appreciation for diversity to do this kind of work,” Byam says.

“As a child, being exposed to all kinds of second-hand stores and auctions, I learned that nothing’s the same.

Every item is somehow different.”

You also need a sharp and creative curatorial eye for picking up on those differences, another factor in Byam’s success. At age 29 in 2002, she opened a tiny shop in Davis Square, Somerville, moved to a nearby larger location a few years later, and in 2008 opened doors at a second venue on Boston’s Newbury Street. Last November, Byam set up a third shop in Cambridge’s Inman Square neighborhood. All three stores feature her signature mix of modern, vintage and new clothing and accessories.

Working with her husband, Toirm Miller, Byam deals with a consigner base of 5,500 at her Davis Square store and already has 300 consigners on board at her Inman Square location.

A typical consigner at Poor Little Rich Girl? A fashionista (with whom Byam shares profits) who delivers out-of-style goods for Byam to sift through, purchase and re-sell at

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Photo by Dina Rudick/Boston Globe staff

Retro Fit: Poor Little Rich Girl Byam at her Inman Square emporium.

bargain prices. On an average day, Byam meets with 10 consigners. It’s all fun, she assures, “but it’s a tremendous amount of work.”

Her love of fashion is rivaled by her love of music, especially rock ‘n’ roll.

In the mid-1990s, she worked at the Fort Apache recording studio and label in Cambridge. Byam brings her wide-ranging musical taste into her stores, where shoppers might hear anything and everything from The Andrews Sisters to 1960s French pop to The Beatles, as they comb through the comfortably organized racks.

A Fashion major at Lasell, Byam transferred to Bentley College in the middle of her course of study, then returned to Lasell as a 25-year-old.

As an older undergraduate, her more seasoned attitude was immediately recognized by Professor Carey.

“Meredith had an extraordinary curiosity for subject matter,” Carey tells Leaves. “She pursued her academic work with passion and creative determination as a result of finding a discipline that matched her energy and talents.”

Oh, and the origin of the store name?

It’s a characteristic vintage-modern Byam homage to two favorite films: Poor Little Rich Girl, a 1917 silent movie starring Mary Pickford…and a very different 1965 Andy Warhol take on the same title with Warhol muse Edie Sedgwick in the lead.

How did the Lasell graduate from Lakeville wind up at the helm of a trio of trendy consignment stores? “It seemed impossible at first,” Byam says.

“My generation was raised to be employees, not employers. But I opened a store I wanted to shop at, and I guess the rest is history.”

And, in a certain sense, ridiculously fair.

www.lasell.edu

Faculty/Staff

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Arat First Beever Chair Serfar Arat has been named the College’s first Diane Heath Beever ’49 Professor of Art. The endowed faculty chair in the arts was established in 2008 in Beever’s honor by her trust, which gave $1 million to Lasell. Diane Beever was one of 13 members of the Heath family to attend the College.

Arat, who will join the faculty in September 2010, comes to Lasell from Concordia College in New York, where he had a major role in building the arts program.

Austin in Conference Diane Austin, Vice President of Student Affairs, was one of four faculty members who participated in the second annual Mid-Level Managers Institute at the annual conference of the National Orientation Directors Association (NODA) in California, where she headed up a session on Career = The Intersection Between Planning and Serendipity and presented a case study on Effective Supervision: An Art Form, Not a Science.

Cappiello on the Case Lena Cappiello has been named the College’s first Coordinator of International Services. In that capacity, Cappiello’s dual focus is to provide comprehensive direct service to the international student population at Lasell and to oversee the implementation and enhancement of the College’s study abroad programs.

Cappiello holds a BA from Fordham University with a double major in Art History and American Studies and a minor in Italian Studies. After studying at Lorenzo de’ Medici in Florence, Italy, she earned an MA in International Education with a concentration in International Education Development at New York University.

Where The Classroom Is The Real World

Dolamore New Dean Joan Dolamore recently joined Lasell College as the new Dean of Graduate and Professional Studies. Dolamore earned both her Ed.D. and Ed.M. degrees at Harvard University and has served in recent years as Dean of the Lifelong Learning, Division of Professional and Continuing Studies at Boston’s Wentworth Institute of Technology. Prior to Wentworth, Dolamore worked in various directorship and associate dean roles within Lesley University’s Professional Studies and Adult Learning divisions.

Her numerous publications and professional presentations span such areas as educational assessment, adult learning and workplace diversity.

Granger No Stranger Jennifer Granger has moved into the position of Director of Student Activities and Orientation.

Granger began at Lasell in 2007 as Assistant Director of Student Activities and, since that time, “has played a major role in helping to create a rich and abundant co- and extra-curricular life for our students,” says Vice President of Student Affairs Diane Austin. Granger holds a BA in History from the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth, where she currently is a member of the Alumni Board, and a M.Ed. in Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration from the University of Vermont.

Notables

Argotsinger New Alumni Director C. Chad Argotsinger joined the Institutional Advancement staff in the fall as the new Director of Alumni Relations for Lasell College.

Over the past three years, Argotsinger was Director of Student Activities at Lasell. He will be instrumental in building new young alumni programs, as well as planning important alumni events and growing volunteer programs. He received a master’s degree from Bowling Green State University and bachelor’s degree from the University of Vermont.

Editor Dion Joins Team Diane Dion has joined the Lasell staff as Assistant Director of Communications.

She comes to the College from WGBH Boston, where she was a senior editor responsible for major publications supporting the nonprofit’s mission, programs and services, including ‘GBH, The Members’ Magazine and the WGBH Annual Report. A former weekly newspaper editor, Dion holds a BA in journalism from American University and an MA in journalism from Boston University.

Gundlach ’08 Photoshop Prof As a new member of the Lasell faculty, Andrew (Drew) Gundlach admits to being “nervous and excited when I stepped into the classroom as a Photoshop professor.”

As an undergraduate Graphic Design major, Gundlach ’08 spent much of his senior year working on his portfolio, active in the Graphic Design League and art-directing Polished Magazine and its companion website, PolishedFashion.com.

Gundlach credits strong support from Assistant Professor of Graphic Design Stephen Fischer and Director of the RoseMary B. Fuss Technology Learning Center Linda Bruenjes as pivotal to his making the leap from undergrad to prof. “They are incredible mentors,” Grunlach says, “always willing to lend a hand.”

Connected Voices and Learning

McCauslin On IA Staff Lauren Mele McCauslin has joined Lasell’s Institutional Advancement team as Assistant Director of Annual Giving. She comes to the College from the Annual Giving Office at Simmons College, where she was manager of the phone program.

A native of Albany, NY with a paralegal background, McCauslin holds a BA in political science from the University of Rochester.

Campus Diversity: “Hearing Student Voices: Developing Diversity Sensitivity and Humility on a College Campus,” a winter 2010 article in the American Family Therapy Academy Monograph series, was facilitated by Psychology Professor Marsha Mirkin along with a diverse team of “Student Voices.” Shown, left to right: Mirkin, Criselen Trinidad, Ninwa Hanna, Erin Ingleton and Jean Leger.

Lasell Leaves • Spring 2010

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Steve Bloom

O’Neill Scholar… and Red Sox Fan

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Steven F. Bloom, Ph.D., Lasell’s Dean of Undergraduate Education

and Professor of English, has built a reputation as an astute, insightful and dedicated authority on playwright Eugene O’Neill.

The popular educator did his undergraduate work at the University of Rochester, graduate study at Brandeis University and is a past president of the Eugene O’Neill Society. Leaves caught up with the congenial dean during a chilly February day on campus.

Leaves: Where are you from?

Bloom: I was born in Brooklyn, raised in Queens and attended the High School of Performing Arts in Manhattan (yes, the Fame school), where my love for the theater really took shape. As it turns out, I was a better writer than actor. One of my drama teachers suggested he’d rather see me be a “first-rate college professor than a second-rate actor.”

Those words stuck with me.

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Q&A

Leaves: This raises a thorny question: Do you consider yourself a New Yorker or a Bostonian?

Bloom: I’m not a Massachusetts native, but I’ve lived in the Boston area for 37 years (longer than I lived in New York).

And now I’m definitely a Red Sox fan.

Long Day’s Journey: Bloom in his Holway House office.

Leaves: Your Student Companion to Eugene O’Neill is helping to make the playwright more accessible to high-school and college students and teachers. Thoughts?

Bloom: Introducing him to a broader audience was my goal. I hope readers also find the Companion helpful in providing context before seeing an O’Neill play and inspiration for reflection and discussion afterwards.

Leaves: What is your favorite play?

Leaves: What originally drew you to O’Neill?

Bloom: I wish I could say I came to O’Neill through some life-changing moment in the theater, but it was nothing so dramatic. I wrote my senior college thesis on Edward Albee. All of the drinking in Albee’s plays, especially in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, led me to consider the significance of intoxication that characterizes many American plays. I eventually wrote my dissertation — Empty Bottles, Empty Dreams: O’Neill’s Alcoholic Drama — on O’Neill’s use of alcoholism and intoxication in his late plays. I am fascinated by the theatricality and power of his writing, his insights into the human condition and his remarkable ability to turn his own tortured life into art.

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Bloom: O’Neill’s Long Day’s Journey Into Night is definitely my favorite American play. My favorite of all is Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot.

It’s wonderfully comic and tragic, hopeful and hopeless, simple and complex; it’s ingenious.

Leaves: Favorite film?

Leaves: What books are currently on your night table?

Bloom: At the moment, People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks, Last Night in Twisted River by John Irving and I Am Charlotte Simmons by Tom Wolfe.

Leaves: Why have you chosen to support the Lasell Giving Challenge as a “Friend?”

Bloom: Lasell has given me a great deal of support in my professional life. I’m happy to work within an academic community that is always changing, growing and looking to the future.

I especially value the opportunity to be able to help shape some of that growth and to help facilitate lifelong learning through Lasell Village. As a “Friend” of Lasell, I’m able to support bringing the mission of the College to life for our students every day.

Bloom: I have many. Among them are some classics like Woody Allen’s Annie Hall, mainly because I like his comically truthful insights into relationships, and Mike Nichols’s The Graduate for how it depicts the excitement, ambiguity and anxiety of that period in a young person’s life.

www.lasell.edu

Off the Shelf

Recent books, scholarly journal publications and interviews by Lasell College faculty include a rich roster of titles and topics, among them: Bradford Allen, Associate Professor of Mathematics • “A Poisson-Based Prediction Model and Warning System for MRSA Daily Burden” in Clinical Laboratory Science, 2009.

• “A Long-Term Forecast of MRSA Daily Burden Using Logistic Modeling” in Clinical Laboratory Science, 2009.

Stephanie Athey, Associate Professor of English • “Dark Chamber, Colonial Scene: Post 9/11 Torture and Representation” in Human Rights and Global Literary Production, 2010.

• “The Torturer’s Tale: Tony Lagouranis in Mosul and the Media” in Iraq War Cultures, 2010.

Emily Banice, Adjunct Professor • Interview with Amanda Knorr of The Improper Bostonian in Fodor’s Boston Shopping Guide 2010.

Carole Center, Assistant Professor of English • “But I’m Not a Reading Teacher!” co-author in Open Words: Access and English Studies, spring 2009.

Sarah Cherington, Lecturer in Psychology • “The Development of Other-Related Conversational Skills: A Case Study of Conversational Repair During the Early Years” in First Language, 2009.

Michael Daley, Assistant Professor of Environmental Science • “Of Moisture Stress in a Mid-latitude Temperature Forest: Implications for Feedforward and Feedback Controls from an Irrigation Experiment” co-author in Ecological Modelling, 2009.

Gary Donato, Lecturer in History • Preface to “A Dialogue on Presidential Challenges and Leadership: Papers of the 2008-2009 Center Fellows” for the Center for the Study of the Presidency, August 2009.

• Eight book reviews, including “Ronald Reagan and the 1980s: Perception, Policies, Legacies” for Published Choice Journal, October 2009.

Marie C. Franklin, Assistant Professor of Journalism • Managing Editor, “Teens in Print” quarterly newspaper for The Boston Globe and Globe Foundation, March and May 2009.

• “First Person: Anne D. Leclaire” for Boston Globe Magazine, April 2009.

Dennis Frey, Associate Professor of History • “Using World History to Encourage Complex and Critical Self-Awareness” for World History Bulletin, fall 2009.

Charlene Geary, Lecturer in Business Administration • “Estate Journal™” for B&G Publishing Group, January 2009.

• “Properly Preparing a Home For Sale Is The First Step In Getting It Sold” for The Real Estate Professional Magazine, November/December 2009.

Second Life

Sarabeth Golden, Assistant Professor of Psychology • “General Guidelines for Talking with Children” in A Clinician’s Guide to Normal Cognitive Development in Childhood, 2009.

Dana Janbek, Assistant Professor of Communication • Global Terrorism and New Media: The Post Al-Qaeda Generation co-author, 2010/2011.

Rebecca Kennedy, Associate Professor of English • Four poems, including “First Snow” for Karamu, Spring 2009 and “The Idea of Photographs” for Poem 102, November 2009.

Tessa LeRoux, Professor of Sociology • Co-Guest Editor of “Aging: Families and Households in Global Perspective,” a special issue of The Journal of Comparative Family Studies, spring 2009.

Marsha Mirkin, Associate Professor of Psychology • “Hearing Student Voices: Developing Diversity Sensitivity and Humility on a College Campus” with co-authors for American Family Therapy Academy Monograph, winter 2010.

• “Elijah’s Cup: A Female Jewish Therapist Explores the Legacy of Love, Fear, Social Action and Faith” for Women and Therapy, winter 2010.

Michelle Niestepski, Assistant Professor of English • “Instructor’s Resource Manual “ to accompany The Longman Handbook for Writers and Readers, 2010.

Jennifer Ostrowski, Assistant Professor of Athletic Training • Numerous articles, including “Recently Certified Athletic Trainers’ Undergraduate Educational Preparation in Psychosocial Intervention and Referral” and “Fourth Cranial Nerve Palsy in a Collegiate Lacrosse Player: A Case Report” for The Journal of Athletic Training, 2009.

Stephen Sarikas, Professor of Biology • Laboratory Investigations in Anatomy and Physiology, 2nd ed., 2010.

Anh Tran, Assistant Professor of Economics and Management • Interviewed for numerous articles in Asian-based publications, including “Japan’s Growing Role in Vietnam’s Development” for Asia Sentinel, August 2009 and “In Search of the Economic Goal for Vietnam” for Vietnam Week, October 2009.

Amy Wagenfeld, Senior Lecturer in Psychology • “It’s More Than Seeing Green: Exploring the Senses through Gardening” for Journal of Therapeutic Horticulture, 2009.

Bibliophile Bobbie Sproat’s ‘First’ Life

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She’s a familiar face to Brennan Library patrons, but Barbara “Bobbie” Sproat didn’t set out to be a professional bibliophile. Lasell’s popular reference librarian and archivist began her career as an attorney, hoping “to change the world.” The Oberlin grad got a law degree from Suffolk University Law School, spent some years in Boston and California doing both for-profit and pro bono legal work, then shifted from full-time legal work to full-time parenting. On a fateful day during that child-rearing period, in the throes of

Where The Classroom Is The Real World

Hortense Gerardo, Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Humanities • “National Reports from Across the Country — Boston” in The Dramatist, November/December 2009.

personal research at the Newton Free Library, Sproat had an “aha” moment.

“I liked doing research, and I thought librarians provided a valuable public service,” Sproat says. “I was also attracted to being in a learning environment, doing work I could respect and be proud of — not always true in the legal world.”

One Simmons Graduate School of Library and Information Science MS

degree later, the Newton resident brought her legal research skills and spirited curiosity to Lasell’s library, where she’s been on staff much of the time since 2002. “I really enjoy helping people — students, faculty and occasional local and Lasell Village residents — find information,” she continues. “And I love the look on students’ faces when I help them come up with relevant and reputable sources to use in writing their papers. It’s like watching a whole new world open up before their eyes!”

Lasell Leaves • Spring 2010

9

In Focus

Children’s Book Author Barbara Barbieri McGrath ’73

‘Lasell Was My Inspiration!’

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As a child in Wellesley, MA, Barbara Barbieri learned to count — in Italian — from her grandfather, Louis “Pa” Cornoni.

At Home: The writer at work.

As an adult, the Lasell ’73 graduate has been making it fun for children to learn to count — in English — though her celebrated series of non-fiction books, The M&M’s® Counting Book, Soccer Counts, Teddy Bear Counting and many more. And, she’s been engaging young minds with accessible fiction titles like I Love Words, The Little Green Witch and The Little Red Elf. The Natick resident credits her “nerve to write anything down” to early inspiration from Lasell Professor Emeritus Ken Matheson who “simply told me I could write.”

“I wasn’t an exceptional writer in high school,” McGrath says, “but Ken and other devoted faculty members helped me rise to the Lasell standard.”

McGrath’s Mantra: “Read, read, read.”

Recalling her first assignment in Matheson’s creative writing class, McGrath says, “we were asked to set out on campus alone and write about our surroundings. It was a beautiful spring day, and most of my classmates described flowers and trees. I wrote about sitting in the parking lot, staring at a car grille. Ken read my work and convinced me I had promise.”

That, McGrath adds, “gave me the confidence to match my writing ability with my interest in making learning fun for kids.”

After graduating from Lasell with a degree in early childhood education, McGrath (along with Susan Sullivan, also Lasell ‘73) established a Wellesley preschool where she taught for 16 years until publishing her first children’s book, The M&M’s® Counting Book, in 1994.

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Lasell Leaves • Spring 2010

That maiden voyage into publishing success — the M&M’s book has sold over one million copies — was triggered while actually snacking on M&Ms, McGrath says. “I was preparing an early math lesson plan, spilled the candies onto my desk and wondered, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if preschoolers could learn to count by using M&Ms?’” Creative thought, but what could possibly substitute for the colorful — and taboo — candies?

“Laminated construction paper, of course,” she laughs, wearing her preschool teacher hat.

The rest, as they say, is history.

McGrath is recognized for jump-starting an entire genre in children’s literature, informally known as “food snack books.” The concept coincided with the hands-on math curriculum then sweeping the country and is, today, used in colleges as a curriculum-planning teaching tool.

“

One red marches in To make five bears in all.

When yellow joins, too,

With her husband, Will, handling the business side of things, McGrath has written 32 (and counting) children’s books, including several award-winners.

The couple has two grown children, a visual artist daughter and a musician son.

In addition to “reading, reading, reading,” McGrath lists surfcasting, canoeing, scuba diving and collecting “sea pottery” as key passions. That could have something to do with having spent childhood summers on Cape Cod where the ocean became, and remains, a pivotal part of McGrath family life.

Barbara McGrath continues to spend a lot of time visiting schools across the country, speaking to children about writing and math, encouraging them to create books of their own and keeping up with what turns kids on.

“If you want to have an impact in this field,” she contends, “you need to get into the schools and stay current with what’s resonating today…like who the next Harry Potter might be.”

Where does McGrath see herself in five years? Hopefully, acting as a resource to promote childhood literacy. “I’d like to be sending authors and illustrators into schools and libraries as a free public service,” she says. “I believe in giving back.”

Six teddies sit tall.

— Teddy Bear Counting

” www.lasell.edu

‘Green’ Day

Rules

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media matters Lasell luminaries who have made appearances in the media recently include: • President Michael B. Alexander on WRKO Radio’s early morning talk show, Tom & Todd. President Alexander was interviewed in February by Tom Finneran and Todd Feinburg about lifelong learning and Lasell College’s leadership in this area.

• President Alexander was also interviewed for a February story in the Boston Business Journal on alternative revenue streams for small colleges. In the fall, The Chronicle of Higher Education’s “Buildings and Grounds” section featured a photo of the College’s East and West residence halls along with building statistics.

• In November, The Boston Herald ran a two-page article related to elderly driving, “Course Puts Elders on Road to Safer Driving” by Ira Kantor, in which several Lasell Village residents were interviewed.

• Also last fall, The Boston Globe ran a story about school spirit that featured Lasell College and other small schools in the area. A photograph of Lasell’s new mascot “Boomer” was on the front page!

• Lasell Trustee Michael Maggiacomo was named to the Boston Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” section.

Maggiacomo, SVP and director of specialty banking at Eastern Bank, says he was a little surprised to learn he’d been nominated and then won.

“I got an e-mail from the BBJ saying ‘you or someone you nominated’ was on the list,” says Maggiacomo. “I skimmed the list and saw my name there — and there you go!”

“I am flattered and humbled,” continues Maggiacomo, who recently turned 40. Maggiacomo was chosen among hundreds of nominees.

• Lasell alumna Urit Chaimovitz ’98, who has her own interior design business in Watertown, MA, was quoted in a Boston Globe Magazine story “Low-down Luxe” in January.

She was also quoted in Style Carrot — an online home fashion magazine — last fall.

Several members of the Lasell faculty also appeared in the media, including: • Emily Banis, Adjunct Professor of Fashion, was included in The Improper Bostonian article “Fast Facts: Déjà View.”

• Richard Bath, Associate Professor of Fashion, provided commentary on WSBK Radio on the recent US Senate race.

• Jared Gordon, Lecturer in Communication, wrote, directed and produced November 31st, honored as Best Picture/Best Producer at the 2009 Bare Bones International Film Festival in Oklahoma.

• Joanna Kosakowski, Associate Professor of Mathematics, was a writer for the WGBY Springfield PBS series As Schools Match Wits, broadcast from October 2009 June 2010.

• Anh Tran, Assistant Professor of Economics and Management, was interviewed by Voice of America about Vietnamese economic performance through the assessment of international organizations (broadcast in Vietnamese in October 2009) and on US-Vietnam relations over the past 15 years (broadcast in Vietnamese in July 2009).

• Franklin Triffletti, Lecturer in Communication, produced Tricks of Love, awarded Best Feature at the 2009 International Film Festival of South Africa, and the upcoming film Ironsides by Jomar Motion Pictures.

• Brian Wardyga, Assistant Professor of Communication, directed a music video for Lily Holbrook for the song “Cold Day in Hell” in May 2009.

Where The Classroom Is The Real World

Lasell has made a concerted effort to “go green” by increasing recycling, shrinking the College’s carbon footprint and hiring a new Assistant Director of Plant Operations and Sustainability, Marc Fournier. Often referred to on campus as “Mr. Green,” Fournier has an extensive background in environmental field work and brings over 30 years of facility management experience to Lasell.

Lasell’s Top-10 ‘Green’ Improvements to Date

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Water usage has been reduced by installing low-flow toilets and shower heads in College buildings (262 installed in 2009) and sink aerators.

Waste has been reduced by nearly 10% by recycling more cardboard, paper, bottles, cans, scrap metal and other materials across campus.

Donated surplus clothing, food, furniture and appliances are being sent to local charities, including one tractor trailer-load and two box-trucks full of used furniture to The Wish Project in Lowell, MA during the winter of 2009-2010.

Two new dormitories — East and West — were built in compliance with LEED (environmental) specifications.

Cafeteria cooking oil is being recycled, converted into heating oil and donated to heat local shelters (140 gallons every 20 days).

New heating zones have been installed in College buildings, and thermostat temperatures have been lowered in dorms, houses and offices wherever possible to help reduce oil consumption.

Between February and March, the College joined the national “Recylemania” competition and boosted the recycling rate on campus from 13.5% to 23.2% in just one month’s time.

Energy consumption has been reduced by encouraging students, faculty and staff to turn off all electronics (monitors, printers, lights) when not in use.

Energy efficiency has been improved by insulating buildings, reducing air infiltration and installing energy efficient windows.

CO2 emissions have been reduced by encouraging carpooling, walking, biking and using public transportation.

Lasell Leaves • Spring 2010

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Haiti (Still) in Our Hearts

Curtain Call

A remarkable outpouring of support by the Lasell community in response to the devastating Haiti earthquake is continuing, even as the spring term nears an end.

“We’ve had an extraordinary response from students, faculty and staff,” Amy Greene, Student Programs Coordinator for Lasell’s Center for Community-Based Learning (CCBL), tells Leaves. In addition to raising money for Partners in Health, a Boston-based nonprofit active in Haiti before, during and after the earthquake, “we’ve continued to provide ways for the campus and Lasell Village communities to express their concern in non-monetary ways,” Greene says, “by raising awareness, volunteering time and attending public events.”

Students, faculty, staff and Lasell Village residents have reached out “with a hug, with a helping hand, with ceremony and with money to do whatever they could to provide assistance and succor to those in need,” President Michael B. Alexander wrote in a January campus and Village-wide message. “As responsive as our College and Village communities have been,” Alexander added, “the greatest challenge is to sustain our support as the event itself inevitably recedes from memory.”

To that end, the Center for Community-Based Learning and the Donahue Institute for Values and Public Life are continuing to respond to the crisis with a variety of initiatives.

To learn more about Lasell’s ongoing Haiti relief response, go to: www.standwithhaiti.org/page/outreach/view/earthquake_group/LASELLCOLLEGE or contact Amy Greene at 617-243-2348.

The Vagina Monologues, playwright Eve Ensler’s provocative celebration of female sexuality, was performed by Lasell students, faculty and staff in support of V-Day, a global grassroots movement dedicated to ending violence against women.

Directed by Fallon Coster ’11, the two-night production played to a packed Yamawaki Auditorium. Shown, cast members taking a bow on opening night.

Timeless: The morning after a winter snowfall, a tranquil campus scene.

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Lasell Leaves • Spring 2010

www.lasell.edu

SPRING 2010

Class Notes The Torchlight Parade

1941

Then…

2009 EDITOR’S NOTE In the interest of protecting the privacy of our alumni, it is the policy of the Office of Alumni Relations not to divulge contact information. Please use the online community, www.lasellalumni.org, to search for your classmates.

The content of Class Notes is based on material submitted to the Office of Alumni Relations. We are unable to verify the factual content of each entry. Individual entries printed in this issue were received

by March 1, 2010.

Please send your news to: Lasell College Office of Alumni Relations 1844 Commonwealth Avenue Newton, MA 02466-2716 or e-mail us at alumni@lasell.edu.

Where The Classroom Is The Real World

…and Now

Lasell Leaves • Spring 2010

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Class Notes

Be Friended Join the Lasell Community

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75th Reunion!

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70th Reunion!

For more information, contact the Office of Alumni Relations or visit www.lasell.edu/reunion

For more information, contact the Office of Alumni Relations or visit www.lasell.edu/reunion

Lucille LaRiviere Disbrow and her husband of 68 years, Edward, moved to California in 1950 and now are living in Torrance, the beach area known as the “Hollywood Riviera.”

Are you friended? Linked? Connected? Become one of a growing number of Lasell alums who are connecting with the College and one another via these Lasell alumni social media outlets. For more information on how to connect, go to: www.lasellalumni.org.

Edythe MacDonald Dowd is blessed with good health and enjoying her new home in Manchester, NH. She is happy to live within a few miles of her fifth great-grandchild, William, born in June.

For more information, contact your reunion coordinators Terry Bergeron Hoyt, Barbara 65th Reunion!

Preuss Reynolds, Sue Slocum Klingbeil or visit the website: www.lasell.edu/reunion 19

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An update from Hope Daigneault Pezzullo: “My husband and I moved to a lovely senior-living community in Melbourne, FL. We are happy to be able to remain in the same area we’ve come to love so much over the past 20 years. In addition to making new

389 Alums and friends on Facebook 147 Alums on LinkedIn

For more information, contact your reunion coordinators Jackie Cain Sheils, Tish Gura Conroy 55th Reunion! or visit the website: www.lasell.edu/reunion

friends, we are delighted to stay connected with our old friends and to keep our local medical and dental contacts. At 83 and 82 years respectively, we are still active.

I am busy with bridge, puzzles and shopping.”

Barbara Stickle Mode writes, “I am currently living at Traditions, a senior community in Wayland, MA. After suffering a stroke and a fractured hip, I can no longer live alone. I see Lynn Blodgett Williamson ’46, Nancy Curtis Grellier ’49, Anita Angelus Koulopoulos ’50, Jackie Paulding Hauser ’50 and Nancye Van Deusen Connor ’57 from time to time. I am in touch via email with Anne Alger Ehrlich ’47. I’d welcome hearing from other Lasell alums. I can be reached at bmode126@aol.com.”

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For more information, 19 contact your reunion coordinators Joy Gustavson Smith, 60th Reunion!

Jackie Paulding Hauser, Clara Silsby Lamperti or visit: www.lasell.edu/reunion

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Barbara Donohue Cain shares some thoughts: “I enjoy reading the news about Lasell and am delighted with the progress and growth the College has made. The news from my classmates has dwindled, and I miss it.

After 63 years, I am still married to my husband, Joseph. We have four sons, one daughter, and five grandchildren who live scattered throughout the US. Recently we moved to Sierra Madre, CA to be near one son and daughter-in-law.

So much has happened since 1940.”

1,784 Alums in Alumni Online Community

Charlotte Kelley Campbell whose home is in Tulsa, OK, and Mary Catherine “M.C.” Vogler Greene, who lives in Spring, TX, met in Houston for the first time in three decades. Charlotte and M.C. were roommates during their second year at Lasell.

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The Office of Alumni Relations thanks Mary Burke Brinn for representing Lasell College at the presidential inauguration at Otterbein College in Westerville, OH in October. Mary called it “an honor and privilege to represent Lasell at the inauguration. There were over 80 delegates from all over the country.

In other news, Mary and her husband spend three winter months in Naples, FL and two months during the summer in Brewster on Cape Cod. This past summer, Mary had a reunion with former classmates, Barbara Smith Hernberg and Barbara’s sister, Lee Smith Connors. “We just picked up where we left off. It was a fun, fun reunion.”

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In Ohio: Mary Burke Brinn, left, with Dr. Kathy A. Krendl, President of Otterbein College.

“Lasell Leaves continues to be a great way to catch up with alums and become more knowledgeable about what’s happening at the college,” writes Shirley Vara Gallerani. “I am now on the Board of Overseers.”

Shirley continues, “I keep in touch with Mary Ann Donahue and Janet Gleason Nolan. Now that Mary Ann is working freelance, it makes gathering easier. This summer, we want to get together with other Class of ’53 alumni who live on the Cape.” On a last note, Shirley adds, “My husband, Peter, and I spend our winters in Naples, FL. It is terrific to get away from the cold northeast and those Cape Cod winds!

This February we attended the Lasell Florida event at the Naples Museum of Art (see page 17) which included a wonderful tour and luncheon.

Our children visited with our grandkids during school vacation week. If you are in Florida, please look us up!”

An update from Bobbie Jennings in Honolulu: “I got together with President Michael Alexander and his wife, Mary Barbara, during their visit to Hawaii in December. We talked about the changes at Lasell, since I haven’t been back since graduation. I admitted that there’s no question about my getting lost were I to be plunked down in the middle of the campus. But I felt a silent sigh as I thought about my rich memories of days walking through the woods to get to a shorthand class, as there are no longer any woods. I will be heading to the mainland in May, en route to Africa for a safari.”

Fran Nettleton Konsella and her husband, Phil, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in September. Family came from Connecticut and California to help mark the occasion.

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Three friends from the Class of 1957 spent a five-day mini-reunion touring the Massachusetts and lower Maine coasts. Paula Ristau Trespas joined them for dinner one evening, and they also visited with Muriel Hagerthy Meyer and her husband, Bob.

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Class of ’55 alums met at Kimball Farm in Westford, MA. (L to R) Jean Mills Einarson, Beverly Kimball Lamburn, Ann Harris Hughes, Sally Cranton Nolan, Terry Brossi Ciarcia, Helen LeFaivre Russo, Millie Monahan Regan.

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Lasell Leaves • Spring 2010

www.lasell.edu

Class Notes

11 L au re n s, 18 M ich a

e ls…

A statistical look at the 591 first-year an d transfer students who entered Lasell College last fa ll reveals that the Class of 2013: • Is the largest class in the history of the College • Hails from 17 state s and 11 foreign co untries • Is 64% female an d 36% male • Self-identifies as 18 % minority or peop le of color • Has 249 unique fir st names including 11 Laurens, 18 Michaels, nine Je ssicas, eight Stepha nie s and six each of Molly, William , Christopher, Courtn ey and James • 83% attended pu blic schools • 17 sang in a chor al group or choir • 16 played in the sc hool band • 40 were members of the National Hono r Society • 219 participated in community service • 49 served in stude nt government • 56 worked on their high-school yearbook • 22 worked on their high-school newspa per • 59 call themselve s dancers • at least 12 are go lfers, and • one was a state ch ampion in judo!

For more information, contact your reunion coordinators Linda Foster Nixon and Elisse Allinson 45th Reunion!

Share or visit the website: www.lasell.edu/reunion 19

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Class of ’57 alums (L to R) Gloria Guiduli, Audrey MacAdam Lowe and Millie Berg Cunningham reconnect.

The Office of Alumni Relations thanks Marcia James Carthaus for representing Lasell College at the presidential inauguration at Saint John’s University in Collegeville, MN in October. “The Inauguration was wonderful on probably the worst weather day I can remember,” Marcia says. “The program was incredible with a variety of music, greetings, the investiture, the inaugural address and ecumenical blessings in Buddhist, Native American, Jewish, Muslim and Christian traditions. There were 80 delegates from colleges and universities including Williams College, Notre Dame, University of Georgia, Holy Cross, Michigan State and Lasell.

It was indeed a special day!”

Our sincere condolences to Martha Grearson Herbert on the death of her husband, John, in April, just prior to their 50th wedding anniversary. While Martha’s children live in NH, VT and Stockholm, Sweden, Martha plans to remain in sunny Florida.

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For more information, contact your reunion coordinators Faith Bowker-Maloney, 50th Reunion!

Barbara Greiff Mines, Michele Poirier Gorman, Marilyn Senior Legg or visit the website: www.lasell.edu/reunion 19

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Our sincere condolences to Faith Bowker-Maloney on the death of her husband, George, in July 2009.

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Our sincere condolences to Joan Moeller Thompson on the death of her husband, Brian.

After Lasell, Lisette deMiranda-Cussins continued her education at Antioch University New England and got a master’s degree in clinical psychology. She writes, “I’ve had a private practice and now work as a group facilitator in my community.”

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Where The Classroom Is The Real World

Linda Foster Nixon had an unexpected Lasell reunion! “When my Chatham, MA tennis friend, Brenda Saul Thomson ’71 and her husband invited me to a fabulous beach party,” she says, “I was delighted to see Jean Hill Johnson ’65.”

Chatham Catch-Up: (L to R) Linda Foster Nixon ’65, Brenda Saul Thomson ’71, Jean Hill Johnson ’65.

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40th Reunion!

For more information, contact your reunion coordinator Pamela Walker Francis or visit www.lasell.edu/reunion

Beverly Lambert Quinn and her husband and black lab live in Fairfield, CT, where Beverly teaches voice to a new generation of aspiring singers. Some of her professional successes in musical comedy include starring roles in Sitting Pretty at Carnegie Hall, off-Broadway productions of The Fantasticks and Plain & Fancy, and Broadway productions of Nine and Showboat.

She is especially proud to have been hand-picked by opera diva Beverly Sills for the role of Fiona in a production of Brigadoon.

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Our sincere condolences to Diane Henault-Tosi on the loss of her mother in December. On a happier note, Diane and her beloved friend, Roberta Hartsig Ramik, recently reconnected. Diane says, “Our days at Lasell were a hoot. This is the beginning of a new story in our lives.”

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Nancy Keefe Phillips writes, “I attended Lasell in 1970-1971 and enjoyed my year but didn’t return for senior year. I am an accounting

manager at Harvard Business School.

My daughter, Sarah Phillips ’05, graduated from Lasell.”

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30th Reunion!

Nina Lentini, a newsletter editor and former journalist from Norwich, CT, writes, “My blog, ‘Nina Lentini’s Life Without End,’ made the local news recently. Check it out: www.theday.com/article/20100212/NW S05/302129883.”

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35th Reunion!

For more information, contact your reunion coordinator Lisa Simmons or visit: www.lasell.edu/reunion

In September, Corinne Guyett Norris and her seven-year-old son, Nick, enjoyed the alumni event at Fenway Park when the Boston Red Sox played the Tampa Bay Rays.

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For more information, contact your reunion coordinator Rosanna Catarella Oreco or visit: www.lasell.edu/reunion

The Office of Alumni Relations thanks Robyn Hunt Vogel for representing Lasell College at the presidential inauguration at Georgia State University in October.

“I felt honored representing my alma mater,” Robyn says. “It was exciting to be a part of such an important event.

Lasell has made great strides since I was a student there, and I have many fond memories of living in Gardner. I still keep in touch with quite a few ‘girls’ from the class of 1978. Thanks for the opportunity to represent Lasell.”

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Donna Appleyard Gould says, “Hi, Class of 1979!

Last summer I celebrated my 50th birthday like so many of you and my 30th wedding anniversary. If you are out there and you remember me, drop me an e-mail at Tinytots759@aol.com. I hope to hear from you soon.”

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At Fenway: Corinne and Nick Norris.

An update from Lisa Allen McGoff: “Hi, Class of 1982. I am presently not working with visiting nursing and am enjoying staying home for a few months. My oldest is in her second year of college, my middle child is a junior in high school, and my youngest is in middle school. I’m looking for my former roommate, Lisa Guerin, and would love to hear from her. Shari Stein Cutler is looking for her as well.

We are on Facebook. Hope to hear from you or anyone else who’d like to get in touch and say hello. My email is: MAMOM3@aol.com.”

Lasell Leaves • Spring 2010

15

Class Notes

Interested?

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25th Reunion!

If you would like to sponsor or help to organize an alumni event in the future, please contact:

For more information, contact your reunion coordinator Jill Blanchard Sommer or visit: www.lasell.edu/reunion

An update from Beth Pransky: “Graduating from Lasell’s Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA) program is one of the best things I ever did. My career would never be what it is today. I now have a college-age daughter and a few of her friends are considering Lasell. I highly recommended it to them.”

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Andrea Callahan Russo and her daughter, Amanda Russo ’13, stopped by the Office of Alumni Relations on move-in day to participate in the Open House for Legacies, meet the Institutional Advancement staff and enjoy some refreshments.

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The Office of Alumni Relations 1844 Commonwealth Avenue Newton, MA 02466-2716

Call 617-243-2139 or e-mail alumni@lasell.edu.

For more information, contact your reunion coordinator Shakira Watson King or 10th Reunion! visit the website: www.lasell.edu/reunion

For more information, contact your reunion coordinators Gary Gay, Amanda Miller, Ashlinn 1st Reunion!

O’Brien or visit the website: www.lasell.edu/reunion

Erin Andrews and her fiancé plan to live in Middleboro, MA.

Katelyn Hammond has accepted the new position of Development Coordinator in the Institutional Advancement Office at Lasell College. She is also currently working toward a master’s of science in management with a concentration in fundraising management and non-profit management.

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Michelle Dalrymple has joined CEO Inc., an executive search firm in Charlotte, NC, as executive assistant to the president.

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Jenn Edwards says, “Hey, class of 2003. I work for Montefiore Medical Center in the NY metro area as a project management coordinator. I also model and design clothing for special occasions. Hope everyone is well.”

In January, Alicia Cranford Corrigan started on her master's degree in early childhood education at Cambridge (MA) College.

She says, “I will hopefully graduate in spring 2010.”

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In the fall, Kayla McKenna spent 31 days in Thailand. She had this to say: “The Thailand trip proved to be a most rewarding experience. I met many incredible people from all over the world. I traveled to Bangkok, Singburi, Suhpanburi and various islands in the

north and south. I lived in the jungle for a week, explored caves, showered in waterfalls, worked with various orphanages, parasailed, fed baby tigers and elephants, visited the Grand Palace, lived with monks and saw the Ayathua temples and the ruins from the Burma War. The experience was definitely life changing.”

In Thailand: Kayla McKenna.

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For more information, contact your reunion coordinators Natalie Gillard and Chantel Daley 5th Reunion! or visit the website: www.lasell.edu/reunion 20

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Legacies: The Russos.

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20th Reunion!

For more information, contact your reunion coordinator Stormy Horton Bell or visit: www.lasell.edu/reunion Myung-Mi Lee and her Los Angeles family recently enjoyed a vacation in her native Osaka, Japan.

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15th Reunion!

For more information, contact your reunion coordinator Kathy Yates or visit the website: www.lasell.edu/reunion

Stacy Rawson Sheldon had this to say about the birth of her third son in April 2009: “CJ had a rough start but is doing great now. It took Brady a while to come around to being a big brother, but Ty is a pro. My cousin, Rich Bruno ’07, is his godfather.”

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In October, Chantel Daley ’05/MSM ’07 opened a kiosk of her one-of-akind jewelry at Legacy Place Mall in Dedham, MA. She takes custom orders, offers gift certificates, coordinates home parties and will mail internationally. Check out her website: www.designsbydeneen.com.

Stacy George Scarsella, senior art buyer for TJX, was a guest speaker at Boston Fashion Week, held at the Park Plaza Hotel in October 2009, designed to market and promote fashion in Boston.

Stylish Sendoff: Karen Gill, former Lasell Director of Alumni Relations, was feted with a farewell dinner by members of the Alumni Board. Shown at the September event, standing, left to right: Gloria Drulie Schluntz ’50, Nancy Curtis Grellier ’49, Jackie Paulding Hauser ’50, Kathy Morgan Lucey ’67, Marsha Keyes Tucker ’64, Ann Mignosa ’87, Nancye Van Deusen Connor ’57, Lynn Blodgett Williamson ’46. Seated, left to right: Joy Stewart Rice ’55, Gill, Emily Alter, Assistant Director of Alumni Relations.

Amanda Wasowski writes, “I graduated from Case Western Reserve University’s Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences in May 2009 with a master’s of social science administration, the equivalent of an MSW. I am a social worker on the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Unit at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital in Cleveland.”

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In Delray: Alumni and friends enjoyed a private tour of the tropical gardens at the Sundy House in Delray Beach, Florida and a presentation by Dr. Joann Montepare, Director of Lasell’s Fuss Center for Research on Aging and Intergenerational Studies. Shown at the February event, left to right: JoAnne Di Pietro DiMarco ’55, Dr. Montepare, Ron Martin.

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Lasell Leaves • Spring 2010

www.lasell.edu

Glass Plus: Florida alumni and friends gathered at the Naples Museum of Art in February for lunch and a private tour of the Dale Chihuly exhibit. Shown, a dramatic red chandelier, one of three permanent pieces by the renowned glass sculptor in the Museum’s collection.

Fishing Families Stay Afloat

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Karen Campbell Murdoch ’91 is the enthusiastic and hard-working president of Women of Fishing Families (WOFF), a Chatham, MA-based nonprofit volunteer organization dedicated to supporting the Cape Cod fishing community. Her WOFF work speaks not only to Murdoch’s being the engaged wife of commercial fisherman David Murdoch, but also to a lifelong affinity for the water that began during childhood summers in Ogunquit, Maine.

“I spend a lot of time with fishermen’s wives,” Murdoch says. “Their lives, and those of their families, are difficult. The goal of WOFF is to be there for them

emotionally and financially.” To that end, WOFF’s biggest projects have been revitalizing the Chatham Maritime Festival, which culminates in the Blessing of the Fleet, and raising scholarship money for deserving fishing family high-schoolers.

Before relocating to the Cape in 2000, Murdoch was a ski coach for children in New Hampshire and worked on youth programs and family resources in Maine. When not busy with WOFF, Murdoch, who holds a Lasell degree in early childhood education, is the youth service librarian at Barnstable’s Sturgis Library.

Class of ’91: Karen Campbell Murdoch on board.

Where The Classroom Is The Real World

Lasell Leaves • Spring 2010

17

Nota Bene

Engagements

Births

Suzanne Pearce Schultz ’47 on November 21, 2009

Elizabeth Larrabee ’56 on January 13, 2010

Erin Andrews ’00 to Jeff LaBelle

Stacy Rawson Sheldon ’98, a son, Caleb Joseph “CJ,” on April 16, 2009

Barbara Woods Walsh ’47 on January 16, 2010

Ellen Cochrane Berry ’58 on August 25, 2009

Virginia Bailey McAllister ’48 on September 8, 2009

Marilyn Burns Alden ’59 on December 29, 2009

Patricia Greenhalgh Barrows ’48 on July 1, 2009

Brenda Miller Bergstrom ’59 on November 9, 2009

Joan Baker Pennell ’50 on February 17, 2009

Deborah Philips Abbott ’60

Sarah Armstrong ’07 to Justin Woodside Noelle O’Leary ’07 to Phillip O’Loughlin ’07

Deaths

Stephanie Kana ’08 to Josh Montinieri ’08

Clara Giarla Albiani ’31

Marriages Linda Kelterborn Johnson ’69 to Lee Spencer, Jr. on September 12, 2009 Angela Perry ’97 to Ryan Place on July 4, 2008 Katelyn Macilvane ’04 to James Craig on September 4, 2009 Tracey Maloney ’04 to Frank Michienzi on October 17, 2009 Stacy George ’05 to Dean Scarsella ’03 on June 20, 2009 Estela Hernandez ’07 to Josue Zuniga on March 7, 2009

Marjorie Jones Joslyn ’34 on February 4, 2010 Dorothy Friend Sacrey ’35 on December 11, 2009 Blanche Bourke Crabb ’36 on August 4, 2009 Merrill Brown Lett ’38 on November 30, 2009 Florence Evans McLaughlin ’40 on July 4, 2009 Hilda Anderson Quist ’41 Dorothy Brewer Carlson ’41 on November 14, 2009 Grace Johnson Johnson ’42 on January 23, 2010 Olive Nolan ’44 on December 4, 2009 Maxine Williamson Luther ’44 on November 4, 2009 Carol Birath Dennison ’47

Louise Marston Donnelly ’51 in December 2009 Barbara Walsh Patterson ’51 on June 9, 2009 Marguerite Rudolf Mesinger ’52 on April 20, 2004 Anita Woodis Stewart ’52 on July 27, 2009 Barbara Brigham Bonvallat ’53 on December 12, 2009 Joan Hodgson Kangas ’53 on August 7, 2009 Beverly Thornton Hallowell ’53 on October 11, 2009 Sally Spicer Frazier ’55 on August 26, 2008

Nancy Curtis Touw ’68 on October 6, 2008 Jan Jacobs Hyde ’68 in August 2009 Denise Beauchene Currier ’69 on October 7, 2009 Judith Plummer Doherty ’69 on January 31, 2010 Robert Burgess, former art teacher, on July 11, 2009 Margaret Ford, former faculty, in April 2009 MaryLouisa “May” Parker, former staff, on May 14, 2009 James Pollock, former Academic Dean, on July 30, 2009

Priscilla Driggs Bevin ’56 on December 8, 2009

Betty MacNeil Lentini ’47 on October 30, 2009

Howard Zinn, 1922-2010 Lasell College lost a friend, neighbor and distinguished visiting scholar with the death of historian Howard Zinn in January. An academic, activist, author and playwright, Zinn is best remembered for his history text, A People’s History of The United States, which continues to teach millions about the hidden traditions of protest, resistance and rebellion in America.

The Boston University professor emeritus spent a week on the Lasell campus as the Donahue Institute for Values and Public Life Scholar in 2005, visiting classrooms and giving a public lecture entitled “Civil Liberties in Wartime.”

Commenting on Zinn’s death, Sociology Professor Tessa LeRoux, Director of the Donahue Institute, tells Leaves, “We honor the memory of this great human being who taught us to, in his words, ‘assert our allegiance to the human race.’ The Donohue Institute hopes to carry his message forward as we advance our mission to foster awareness of the importance of a civil society and to create sensitivity to the moral dimensions of choices individuals make.”

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Lasell Leaves • Spring 2010

www.lasell.edu

“

Your support of Lasell College through a gift to the Annual Fund provides students with additional resources in the library, better equipment in athletics and essential funds for grants and scholarships. Every gift makes a difference in educating Lasell students. Please participate by June 30!

Giving Back

Haegan Forrest Director of Annual Giving and Constituent Relations hforrest@lasell.edu 617.243.2165

”

Annual Fund

By the Numbers Bragging Rights:

• Annual Fund 2010 Goal: $750,000

The senior class won the

• Gifts and pledges as of early March: $590,659 (79%)

2010 Class Gift Challenge,

• Average gift from alumni in 2010: $227

the participation and

• Number of gifts from alumni: 1,131

fundraising competition

• Number of gifts from non-alumni: 416

that benefits the College’s

• New gifts and pledges needed: $159,341

Annual Fund, with 18%

• Alumni participation goal: 15%

participation and $400

• Number of alumni gifts needed to reach 15%: 869

raised. Some 200 students joined in this year’s Challenge — more than

GOALS

three times the number who participated last year.

Shown, Class of 2010 Secretary Zach Lambert and Vice President Samantha Plack at the Activities Fair.

Patti Beck Bishop ’97

Keeping Her Lasell Connections Alive

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Patti Beck Bishop is described by most who know her as a breath of fresh air and a bundle of enthusiasm.

As a student she was the recipient of the Lasell Lamp, Lasell Chair and Lasell Bowl awards. As an alumna, she serves as Chair of the College’s Board of Overseers and served on the Alumni Board of Management, where she was president.

Bishop was also the recipient of the Lasell Medallion. She gives back to Lasell College in multiple ways. Leaves recently sought her out to discuss her generosity.

Leaves: What is your hometown?

Bishop: Poughkeepsie, NY, although I’ve been living in the Boston area since graduating from Lasell.

Leaves: And, what was your major?

Bishop: Fashion Merchandising.

Leaves: What is your best memory about Lasell?

Leaves: What is your occupation?

Bishop: It’s hard to pick one “best memory;” there are so many! Some of my top memories are producing fashion shows, participating in the Torchlight Parade and being a commencement speaker.

Bishop: I recently made a career change and am a medical assistant.

Leaves: What are your interests now?

Leaves: What year did you graduate Lasell?

Bishop: My current focus has been on school, switching careers and spending time with my new daughter, Emily.

Leaves: Why do you give to Lasell’s Annual Fund?

Bishop: I give to the Annual Fund because I want to help current and future students have the same wonderful experience I did at Lasell.

I know the Annual Fund goes to a number of projects/initiatives to help grow the College and offer the best education to the students.

I also feel strongly about giving back to a place that gave me so much, not just an education, but also experience, friendships and even jobs!

Bishop: 1997.

Where The Classroom Is The Real World

Lasell Leaves • Spring 2010

19

“

There are many ways to structure a gift to Lasell that matches your passion with your philanthropy. Contact us to see if one can meet your charitable and financial objectives.

Giving Back

”

Katharine Urner-Jones ‘83 Director of Development kurnerjones@lasell.edu 617.243.2223

Leadership Donor Recognition Dinner Celebrates Style and Innovation The Larz Anderson Auto Museum in Brookline was the setting for the annual Leadership Donor Recognition Dinner in October 2009. The festive evening featured guest speaker Dr. Richard Light of Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government on “Learning From Our Students: Concrete Examples for Helping Every Student to Succeed and Prosper at Lasell,” an exhibition on “The Style and Innovation of the American Automobile,” stylish and innovative fashions from students in the Lasell Fashion program, combined with American autos from the Museum’s collection, and a sneak preview of “The Art of Fashion: The Yolanda Collection” (see page 3). Below, some attendees at the elegant soirée.

Top row, left to right: • Center for Creative and Applied Arts Honorary Co-Chairs Tom and Olivia McDonough with their daughter Meghan, Lasell ’10 (modeling a couture gown donated by Yolanda).

• Trustee Sue Moran and Charles (Chuck) Moran P’11.

• Overseer Jo-Ann Vojir Massey ’51 and Dwight Massey.

• Wanda Whitmore and Trustee Chair Eric Turner.

Bottom row, left to right: • Trustee Jack Maguire and Linda Maguire P’10.

• President Michael B. Alexander and Dr. Richard Light.

• Trustees Helena Bentz Hartnett and John Pilitsis.

• Mary Barbara Alexander.

Carol Bancroft’s Gift for the Future Carol “Kitten” Bancroft, a member of the Class of 1951, came to Lasell from Greenwich, Connecticut. She was an active member of the student body, involved with the Speakers’ Bureau, Orphean, Outing Club, Prom Committee, Workshop

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Lasell Leaves • Spring 2010

Players, softball team, Lasell News and June Fete committee. In the 1951 Lasell Lamp, Carol is described as artistic, poetic and frank — characteristics that defined her throughout her life.

Journal. For much of her professional life, Carol owned Carol Bancroft & Friends, representing 40 children’s books illustrators to a client base of over 2,000.

After graduating from Lasell, she received her BFA in 1954 from the Rhode Island School of Design. Carol made art her life’s work, beginning her career at McGraw Hill Publishing, McCall’s Magazine and Ladies Home

Carol had a special place in her heart for the College. A consistent $25 donor to the Annual Fund, in 2004 she decided to include Lasell in her estate plans. In her Will, she made a bequest for unrestricted purposes, giving Lasell

the freedom to use the gift wherever it is most needed.

“There is no bequest too modest, no legacy too insignificant,” says Ruth Shuman, Vice President for Institutional Advancement. “When Carol died in 2006, Lasell received a bequest distribution of $12,712, helping her spirit endure at the school she loved.”

www.lasell.edu

Snapshots

Good Eye: David Carlson Lasell Professor David Carlson not only engages his students in the subtleties of the criminal justice system, he also teaches them about the vision and composition of photography.

A more recent interest for David, photography began making its way into his undergraduate criminal justice classes only a few years ago. Around the same time, he also volunteered his very talented services to Lasell’s Institutional Advancement Office, which produces the President’s Annual Report and the alumni newsletter, Leaves. Many of the excellent photos you have seen in these publications come through David’s delicate lens. For this issue of Leaves, he orchestrated the photo shoots that produced new portraits of President Michael B. Alexander (page 2) and Dean Steven Bloom (page 8). As David looks to spend more time with photography and prepares to retire from Lasell, we at the Institutional Advancement and Communications Offices thank him for his generous time, his flexibility and his sense of humor. We hope to continue to feature his wonderful work in the pages of our publications.

Explorers: Kevin Jean ’13 and Barn sisters Rachel (left) and Sarah review the route.

Hunting ‘Treasure’ at The Barn How “nature deficit disorder” is affecting children in today’s technologized world was the focus for Psychology Professor Amy Wagenfeld and her First Year Seminar (FYS) students last fall. To examine the question, FYS students and preschoolers from Lasell’s Barn and Holway Child Study Center partnered for an on-campus treasure hunt seeking “leaves, grass, sticks and flowers.”

“Being outside together, experiencing the freedom of exploring our green world,” co-facilitator Kasey Looney ’12 says, “made everyone realize how restorative nature can be.”

Thank you, David!

blog Leaving Las Vegas with Life Lessons Ten Lasell students boarded a plane for Las Vegas in mid-March for Spring Break. But this was no ordinary trip. These students sought out Vegas not for its night life but for the number of homeless youth who congregate in the area. It was the theme for their Alternative Spring Break.

For a week, these Lasell undergrads volunteered in soup kitchens, spoke with young people, provided community service assistance — and learned a lot about themselves in the process.

To read student blogs about the Las Vegas experience, go to: www.lasell.edu/blogs/alternative-spring-break-blog.asp

High Achievers

Lasell College held its annual First Year Academic Achievement Awards ceremony in February to honor members of the freshman class who appeared either on the Dean’s List with a GPA of 3.5 or higher, or were participants in the school’s Honors Program. Many friends and family members joined the students for the event in de Witt Hall.

Where The Classroom Is The Real World

Lasell Leaves • Spring 2010

21

Lasell Village Village Life? ‘I Feel Like I’m Home’ Lasell College Alumna and Lasell Village resident Ann Mignosa ’87 is the ultimate incumbent.

First, she became tied to the College through her husband Sebastian Mignosa who was a business teacher at Lasell for many years.

During that time, she took classes toward an associate’s degree, which she completed in 1987.

1

st

Resident

Ten Years and Going Strong As we enjoy the 10th anniversary of the opening of Lasell Village, it’s hard to get the old saying “time flies” out of my head!

Wasn’t it just yesterday that Villagers-to-be trudged through the mud and stairwells of unfinished construction during our aptly named “Dusty Shoe” tour, checking out their new home and meeting their new neighbors? Didn’t the parade of moving vans that accompanied the flood of first year “move ins” just complete their route among the original 14 buildings?

Didn’t we just hear that we are already full and Paula Panchuck. need to construct a 15th building at the top of the hill…no, wait, a 16th building that will complete the circle of connections of each building with the others?

Now home to well over 200 residents, Lasell Village has truly become the premier retirement community that its original planners and marketers predicted it would be. As a vibrant living and learning community, the Village immediately dispelled early concerns that its required continuing education component of residency would never be an attractive or viable option in the retirement housing universe. Instead, Lasell Village has become an internationally recognized model of the blending of an active physical and intellectual lifestyle with high quality services and care in a retirement setting. Similarly, Lasell House, the Village’s skilled nursing and short-term rehabilitation facility serving Greater Boston, has emerged as a five-star health care facility, consistently ranked a “top performer” by state evaluators.

10

Throughout our 10th-anniversary year, residents and staff will proudly celebrate Lasell Village as a delightfully unique community in which to live and work.

When the festivities end, we will get started on the next 10 years. If the upcoming decade is anything like the first, I can’t wait to see the wonderful things in store for all of us!

Paula Panchuck, Ph.D. Vice President for Lasell Village

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Lasell Leaves • Spring 2010

Later as an active alumna, she served on Lasell’s Alumni Board of Management and Presidential Search Committee.

Then in 2000, she became connected to the College in a deeper way — when she moved into Lasell Village on its very first day of operation.

In honor of Lasell Village’s 10th anniversary, Leaves met with Mignosa at the Village and asked her to reflect on her decade as a resident and what the Village means to her.

Leaves: Do you remember the day you moved in?

Mignosa: It was May 15, 2000.

I moved in, and another couple also moved in, except it was furniture first.

They didn’t have the occupancy permit yet, so they put us up in the Newton Holiday Inn (now Hotel Indigo). The following week more people moved in, and they kept on coming. Everyone was very excited. I brought a shrub with me from my old house, and they planted it in my garden around my patio.

It’s been fun. I love it here, and I have no regrets.

Leaves: The intergenerational aspect of Lasell Village in its classes is unique. Do the residents really enjoy that?

Ann Mignosa.

Mignosa: They [the students] really don’t mind us being there. At first, I wondered, “What are these kids going to think?” I remember in one class we were asked to design a book cover.

I was writing a family history for my grandchildren, so I designed a cover for that. After my presentation to the class, one of the students said, “I wish you were my grandmother.” I think the experience brings us closer to our own grandchildren.

Leaves: So, who really is a Villager?

Mignosa: A person who reads and is current with events. We go to the opera and the theater. We take trips to museums, and we have several book clubs. We care about the daily news — the current buzz is ‘what did you take for classes?’

Leaves: What would you like others to know about the Village?

Mignosa: It’s the friendliness plus the education and the location. You see people smiling in the corridors. It’s a warm place. I feel like I’m home.

www.lasell.edu

- A Decade and Counting [Q&A] Lifelong Learning

Behind the Scenes Leaves: What is your position at the Village? How long have you been there?

Charter Members: Villagers Dorothy Lambert (left) and Zella Mervis (right) with Celeste Harring.

Celeste Harring: I am currently Assistant to the Dean of Lasell Village and have held this position since our opening in 2000. It has been a rewarding experience working for Dr. Paula Panchuck and helping to manage the everyday happenings of the education department and the Learning Program for the residents. In 1972, in the early pre-construction era of the Village, I was hired as the marketing office manager and was the second employee of the original start-up team.

Our offices were at the Yamawaki Art and Cultural Center, which is where my Village journey started.

Leaves: How have you seen the Village evolve over the last 10 years?

Open Doors in May and June Lasell Village’s 10-year anniversary milestone will be celebrated in several installments over the course of May and June.

In May, the Village will hold a week’s-worth of events and activities for members of the Lasell Village and Lasell College communities.

Included on that roster is a kick-off celebration with College President Michael B. Alexander and President Emeritus Thomas de Witt. Invitees include PBS personality Loretta LaRoche, the Village’s Voices of Experience singers and other musical groups.

On Thursday, June 10 — 10.10.10 — the Village will host Lasell Village 101: Everything You’ve Always Wanted to Know, an open house for the general public. For updates and specifics, go to www.lasellvillage.com.

Where The Classroom Is The Real World

Harring: Structurally, I have seen the Village grow from 14 original buildings containing 162 units to 16 buildings and 188 units. All are independent living apartments connected by linkways. There are also classrooms in these buildings. This includes Lasell House, our skilled nursing rehabilitation facility, which opened in October 2000. It is managed by Genesis Health Care. I have also watched the Village staff grow from six to 181 combined employees of Lasell Village, Lasell College and Genesis Health Care.

Leaves: Can you describe what it is like to work with the residents of the Village?

Harring: The residents are a joy to work with. I am enthused and guided by their involvement and dedication to their lifelong learning activities including Village and College courses, lectures and intergenerational programs, fitness and cultural programs.

They share their knowledge and wisdom in a natural and caring way. All of this, along with the best sense of humor, is displayed on a daily basis which relates to our positioning statement of “A passion for living, learning and laughter.“ Leaves: What is the workplace culture like at the Village?

Harring: It is an outstanding place to work. Employees are treated with respect and dignity, and there is a wonderful sense of caring for one another. They are a marvelous and diverse group of individuals, with 54% minority representation. Personally, I think of the Village as my second home and family. I enjoy my work here, and it’s great to be able to say, “I love my job!”

www.lasellvillage.com

Lasell Leaves • Spring 2010

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Laser Lights Millrats Man: Yankopoulos at center court.

Steve Yankopoulos’07

Hoop Dreams, Granite State-Style

Case in point, fellow Lasell alum Guitian. “José is a very versatile player,” Yankopoulos says. “He got some looks while he was at Lasell and again with the Millrats. I think his going to Puerto Rico is a great step for his career.”

who I am today.” In that spirit, he’s active in the charitable side of raising money to advance Cystic Fibrosis research, coaches varsity basketball at his alma mater, Londonderry High, and has run several Boston Marathons.

The busy young businessman has high praise for faculty and staff at Lasell and recalls his time on campus as “formative,” signaling the Sport Management program as “unique in that it introduces the business aspect of the field.” Faculty and staff, he adds, “listen to you, rather than ‘hear’ you.

They valued my input and were really there for me in terms of guidance and academics.”

In the off season, Yankopoulos is busy writing a script about living with Cystic Fibrosis, a subject he knows firsthand.

“I’ve had CF since birth,” he tells Leaves, “and I’ve welcomed it into my life. It has motivated me and made me

Down the road, Yankopoulos imagines himself a venture capitalist in investment or real estate finance. More importantly, he adds, will be “keeping charitable work front and center. Giving something back will always be a priority for me.”

What, exactly, does the owner of a minor league basketball team do? Just about everything, according to Steve Yankopoulos ‘07.

I

“It’s crazy,” says Yankopoulos, co-owner of the Manchester (NH) Millrats, part of the Premier Basketball League (see José Guitian story, below). “I handle player contracts and deal with financials, drive the team van to practices and cultivate charity relationships, even work on stats and game-day operations, sometimes including broadcasting.”

As a Sport Management major running cross country at Lasell, Yankopoulos imagined becoming a sports agent when he graduated. Instead, an undergraduate internship with the Cape Cod Frenzy ABA basketball team

led to a fateful conversation with a Hyannis businessman and…slow dissolve to the fall of 2007, he is one of five partner-owners of the Millrats.

A native of Londonderry, NH (where he still spends time when not at his Lynn, MA residence), Yankopoulos tells Leaves he’s always been interested in “sports, finance and travel.” A perfect match with his current Millrats gig, where he gets to indulge in all three.

“We’ve taken the team — 26-12 in our first season — as far as Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Thailand,” Yankopoulos says, adding, “It’s all

about mentoring players and helping them get to the next level.”

On Guard: Lasell #24 in action.

Taking His Shot

José Guitian Powers Forward As a record-breaking basketball player for Lasell, José Guitian made a mark on campus last year. Now, as an alum, he’s hoping to shine on a professional basketball court.

G

Guitian had the Lasell campus on the edge of its seat last spring, as he broke school records for points scored and rebounds. As a senior, he averaged 18.6 points, 11.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.4 blocks per game and regularly received NCAA Division III conference mentions and honors.

“My family is from Puerto Rico, and I’ve never lived there,” adds Guitian, a Miami, FL native. “This league is in the Top-10 [professional] leagues.

I’m trying to build my resumé.”

Guitian got a good start on that resumé while at Lasell.

“It was great for the school to have a student-athlete like José,” Galetta adds. “He knew how to handle himself and the adversity that comes with a basketball season.”

Since graduation last May, Guitian has been tearing up the court for professional teams in Puerto Rico and in nearby Manchester, NH.

Aaron Galletta, Lasell Men’s Basketball Coach, credits Guitian with helping the College return to the NCAA tournament last year.

Guitian has high expectations for himself and fully intends to make a positive impact with his new team — it’s all part of the plan.

“I played in Puerto Rico last year, and I signed a one-year deal. Then, they saw me again,” says Guitian.

The Humacao Caciques, a professional team in Puerto Rico’s Basketball Superior National league, saw Guitian with the Millrats and wanted him back.

They offered him a new, two-year deal in February.

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Lasell Leaves • Spring 2010

“José was special for us. It is not very often you find a 6’9” player at this level with the tools he had.

He was a great leader for us, both on and off the court,” says Galletta, who stays in regular contact with Guitian.

Jump Shot: Guitian gets a good look.

“I’m hoping this summer to get a few NBA workouts, go on from there and then, maybe, play in Europe,” says Guitian.

No matter where he lands, Lasell will be cheering him on.

www.lasell.edu

Chris Johnson ’09

Connects Learning and Career

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Running, lifting, training, coaching — it’s all in a day’s work for alumnus Chris Johnson ‘09.

three-time Track and Field MVP and Scholar Athlete of the Year as an undergrad.

Whether running hills in preparation for a marathon, training clients at the Boston Sports Club in Newton or coaching Lasell students as Assistant Track and Field Coach, there is no doubt Johnson has a zeal for athletics.

Johnson came to Lasell with a desire to learn more about fitness, and has stayed on in the graduate program to learn more about himself and how to succeed in that arena.

His lifelong passion for fitness is what first brought Johnson to Lasell and what he built upon as an undergraduate, and now as a graduate student here.

“I chose to stay with Lasell for my graduate degree because of the individualized attention I received and the great friends I made during

As a graduate student, Johnson is determined to keep his connection to undergrads alive and is continuing to do just that by maintaining his coaching position.

“I am still close with a lot of people here, and I want to stay connected to the track and field team,” he says.

Now, as a personal trainer at Boston Sports Club, Johnson is building a plan for his own business with the lessons he is learning in the graduate program.

my undergrad years,” Johnson says, “I’d always wanted to work in the fitness industry, and I had many opportunities at Lasell as a Sport Science major to try different avenues in this career,” says Johnson, who was a

adding, “I learned a lot about the real world and myself. I learned how to be a leader.”

“Lasell,” Johnson says, “has helped prepare me for my future career goals.”

New Master’s Degree in Sport Management As part of Lasell College’s Strategic Plan to offer four new graduate-level programs by 2012, President Michael B. Alexander has announced the approval of a new Master of Science degree in Sport Management to be offered this fall. Sport Management is the second of these new degrees to complete the approval process. Lasell’s MS in Communication degree began in spring 2009. The MS in Sport Management is designed to meet COSMA (Commission on Sport Management Accreditation) requirements.

“This new graduate degree is an important component of Lasell’s Strategic Plan and will build upon the current undergraduate offerings in Sport Management ,” President Alexander says, adding, “Graduates of the program will be able to take advantage of growing opportunities in sports retail and event venues in the area, such as Patriot Place in Foxboro.”

The new degree program is geared toward those looking for a career in sport management, combining courses in management, leadership and marketing. The College’s Master of Science in Sport Management will offer online/ hybrid courses, with concentrations in Sport Leadership, Sport Hospitality or Non-profit Sport Leadership. The MS program includes 12 courses (36 credits) built around a seven-course core curriculum, providing a solid foundation in sport management, plus a capstone experience consisting of an internship or thesis. The program also provides a unique opportunity for Lasell Hospitality and Event Management undergraduate students to pursue the College’s 5th Year Option and earn an MS in Sport Management.

“The sport business is a multi-billion dollar industry that requires individuals with exceptional leadership, managerial and decision-making abilities,” says Dr. Robert Prior, Chair/Associate Professor of Sport Management for Lasell.

“In today’s competitive job market, this program will provide students with the qualifications, knowledge and essential skills for a successful career in the sports industry.”

web extra

For more, go to lasell.edu/admission/ms-sport-management.asp

Where The Classroom Is The Real World

The goals of the Lasell College Athletic Department are four-fold, according to Kristy Walter, Director of Athletics. “To strive for excellence in education and athletics, to build character, to instill pride and to provide an equitable experience for all student-athletes.”

And being part of an NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) Division III program is integral to providing such a comprehensive educational approach, she adds.

“We strive to create a balance of both competitive athletics and excellent academics,” Walter says. “The focus of our D-III program is on the welfare of our student-athletes and not on the spectators or the entertainment value of the sport.”

In keeping with Division III’s mission, participation in athletics at Lasell provides valuable “life lessons” for student-athletes, among them teamwork, discipline, perseverance and leadership, which often translate into becoming better students and more responsible citizens.

Kristy Walter.

“Overall, Lasell’s athletic program is committed to developing student-athlete potential by complementing the educational program and vice-versa,” Walter adds.

“Our student-athletes participate in competitive sports as they retain the full spectrum of college life.”

Lasell Leaves • Spring 2010

25

Laser Lights

Former Rivals: Together We Win separated ourselves from the rest of the team,” Parker recalls. The boys even joked about Vaughan transferring so they could play together during senior year.

Although both were comfortable with being good friends from competing towns, not everybody appreciated their unlikely friendship. In fact, Parker adds, “People hated us for it.”

Not the case at Lasell, where both agree college-level competition is “completely different, much more intense than high school.” Rising to the challenge, Parker already has been named Great North Atlantic Conference (GNAC) Rookie of the Week three times, and Vaughan once.

Roommates and Teammates.

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Freshmen Spencer Parker and Max Vaughan share a secret. Growing up in neighboring Connecticut towns and playing volleyball for rival high schools, they never imagined they would become teammates on the Lasell Men’s Volleyball Team — much less McClelland roommates and best friends.

“We had a grudge in high school. We both knew of each other our freshman and sophomore years, we never really talked and we didn’t really like each other,” says Vaughan, a Wethersfield, CT native. Not only did they play high school volleyball against each other, they competed in JV basketball, as well.

In their junior year, Parker, who hails from Newington, CT, and Vaughan played for a club team that made it into national competition. During nationals, they roomed together and “kind of

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Lasell Leaves • Spring 2010

During a recent on-campus interview, the duo’s easy manner was infectious.

“We call each other Kobe [Bryant] and LeBron [James],” smiles Parker. Both volleyballers find competition in just about everything that they do, including jockeying for those GNAC Rookie of the Week titles. “If I don’t get it, I hope he does. But I want it, too,” adds Vaughan.

Whether in the Nutmeg State or in Newton, for these star players, it’s all in the game.

Volleyball

UPDATE

Kobe and LeBron? Parker and Vaughan come to play.

At Leaves’s press time, the Men’s Volleyball Team culminated its season with an 18-10 overall record, finishing third in the Great North Atlantic Conference (GNAC). In addition to freshmen Vaughan and Parker (see above) each being named GNAC Rookie of the Week, junior Mike Harrington (Billerica, MA) garnered a GNAC Player of the Week title.

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Spring Sports

PREVIEW

Men’s Baseball

Women’s Softball

Men’s Lacrosse

Women’s Lacrosse

The inaugural season of the Lasell College Baseball Team was a true success story. The Lasers went 10-24 overall and 6-10 in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) with a young team directed

by Head Coach Jim Dolan. Lasell lost just two seniors to graduation in 2009, have brought back a solid core of veteran players and are enjoying a spring season highlighted with firsts, including an opening-weekend win at St. Joseph’s College in New York and a spring break trip to Fort Myers, FL where the Lasers played eight contests against tough out-of-region competition.

The Lasell Softball Team looks to continue its winning ways in 2010.

The Lasers are coming off a successful year where they posted a 21-19 overall record while going 14-10 in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC), finishing in the first round of the GNAC Tournament against Rivier College.

Returning third-team All-Conference members include captain Tricia Culver (Northampton, MA) and junior Michelle Torres (Waltham, MA), along with first-team All-Conference junior Ashley Laramie (Lynn, MA). The team will also benefit from the veteran leadership of senior captain Kelly Barden (Quincy, MA) and junior captain Kelly Silvia (Oak Bluffs, MA), sophomore Jacqueline Saluti (Braintree, MA) and on the mound, Kirsten Mammola (North Reading, MA) and Jennie Beaton (Reading, MA). The season began with a spring break trip to Fort Myers, FL, where the team faced Top-10 competition from around the nation.

The Lasers are coming off a disappointing 2009 campaign, finishing the season 5-10 and missing the Pilgrim League playoffs for the first time in three years.

“We are an extremely young team this season,” says Head Coach Tim Dunton, “but we are extremely pleased with our depth. I feel as though we can compete for a league championship.” Schedule highlights include faceoffs against University of New England, Tufts, Bates, Trinity, Hamilton, Roger Williams and Keene State. The Lasers will visit Pilgrim League foes Springfield and Wheaton, while having a home contest with Babson. MIT, Norwich, Massachusetts Maritime and Clark finish out conference play. The 2010 Laser attack unit entered the season with a combined total of seven starts from a year ago. The 2010 season marks the last for the Lasers in the Pilgrim League, as they move into the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) in 2011.

The 2009 season proved to be the strongest in Lasell Women’s Lacrosse program history, earning their best record of 9-7 overall. The Lasers were honored with six Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) All-Conference awards, including Coach of the Year to first-year Head Coach Marushka Eddy, and two first-team and three second-team All-Conference awards. Returners include veteran Lasers Tina Canavan (Stonington, CT) and Kristen Coderre (Monson, MA), senior attack Andrea Ward (Hingham, MA) and junior midfielder Chelsea Caren (Redding, CT). Other key players returning to the Lasell mix this season are Kristen Noble (West Milford, NJ), Ariel Walmark (West Hartford, CT), April McGrath (Willow Grove, PA) and Riley Fickett (Nottingham, NH).

In addition to seven new recruits, Lasell also returns senior midfielder Amanda Martin (Lowell, MA).

Winter Sports

UPDATE

Women’s Basketball

Men’s Basketball

Track and Field

The Lady Lasers Basketball Team completed its season with an overall record of 7-18 and 3-9 in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) and strong offensive contributions from senior Tricia Culver (Northampton, MA) with a 43.8 field goal percentage, and freshman Kim Archibald (Lewiston, ME) with a 46.2 field goal percentage.

With one senior on the returning team, Lasell is busy strengthening its defense during the post-season.

The Lasell Men’s Basketball Team ended its season with an overall record of 11-16 and 8-10 in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference, while advancing to the semi-finals in the GNAC Tournament. Sophomore Javon Williams (Mattapan, MA) led the Lasers with a 53.5 field gold percentage and a 71.2 free throw percentage for the season. Williams also made the GNAC All-Conference Team and was one of 16 top players from the region honored as an NCAA Division III Basketball All-Star. The Lasers will miss seniors Sean Joynes (Philadelphia, PA) and Charles Horton (Detroit, MI).

The Lasell Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track and Field team had an exciting inaugural season in 2009-2010, competing in five regional meets, setting multiple school records and seeing many athletes rank in top spots along the way. At the 2010 MIT Co-Ed Invitational, the Lasers scored six new school records in an outstanding season-ending meet. Freshman Maura Moody (Winthrop, ME) set two individual records and two school records. Issac Montoya (El Paso, TX) garnered two individual school records

Where The Classroom Is The Real World

for the Lasers, Matt Scully (Watertown, CT) finished sixth in the mile run and Patrick Slight (Franklin, MA) earned an eighth-place finish. Steve Petrin (Vernon, CT) had the top-placing performance for Lasell at MIT, taking third in the 200-meter. The Lasers will lose five senior athletes to graduation and look to continue their winning ways in the 2010-2011 season.

Lasell Leaves • Spring 2010

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Leaves SPRING 2010

Sporting Life

Office of Institutional Advancement 1844 Commonwealth Avenue Newton, MA 02466-2716

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DATE

NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID BOSTON, MA PERMIT 51347

2010

October 15-17 On the Water Family, Friends and Alumni Weekend

October 15 On the Links Third Annual Alumni Golf Outing

www.lasell.edu/ffaw

Lasell College Reunion Weekend May 14-16, 2010

MOVING? Don’t miss the next issue of Leaves.

If your address changes, e-mail us at: alumupdate@lasell.edu

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Lasell Leaves is distributed twice yearly, free of charge, to alumni, students and friends of Lasell College.

Vice President for Institutional Advancement Ruth S. Shuman Editor Diane Carasik Dion Contributing Editor Michelle Gaseau Contributors Emily Alter Lucas Baxter ’11 Kayleigh Robertson ’10 Photography David Carlson Michelle Gaseau Kayleigh Robertson ’10 Design Kenneally Creative Arlington, MA Director of Support Services Jeanne A. Johnsen ‘72 Printing Kirkwood Printing Wilmington, MA © 2010, Lasell College. All Rights Reserved.

www.lasell.edu/reunion Lasell Leaves • Spring 2010

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